Poison
by InkytheDemigod
Summary: Everyone at camp turned their backs on Percy for his brother Nick. Thalia betrays the hunters because of her love for Percy, for which she pays dearly. After his mother is killed by a gas explosion, he decides to end his life. Chaos stops him and offers him a redo of the past years as the son of Chaos and Akhlys. He is now the Judge and Executioner of Olympus.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction, so hopefully I please you guys who read this! I got the idea of writing about Chaos and someone else being Percy's parents from the Son of Chaos series. Comments are always accepted, so write away! Hope you guys enjoy!**

Poison

Percy's POV

Everything went wrong in under a week. The Olympians and other gods and goddesses turned their backs on me in favor of my spoiled half-brother. Gods did I hate him. I saved Olympus time after time, only to be repaid with the gods and goddesses completely ignoring me. All Nick (my half-brother) has ever done was sit and looked pretty. As soon as Nick arrived, he was the center for attention. I had never known why. Nick literally did nothing to contribute. He just sat, taking glory for gods know what. What's even worse, he was a slob and a spoiled brat and nobody cared. You would think he was the savior of Olympus with all the attention he was getting.

When Nick arrived at camp, Annabeth started to take WAY too much interest in Nick. She started to completely ignore me. I felt her slowly slipping away from him, only to see her cozying herself up to Nick. Eventually, I broke it off with Annabeth, feeling the void between the two of us widen to the point of no return. She never gave me another look, and only a week later she started to go out with Nick. Since everyone at camp, even my closest friends, turned their backs to me, I decided to leave, maybe to convince my family to move near the Roman camp.

As I was leaving, I saw someone familiar run up to me and give me a hug. "Thalia," I breathed, still trying to understand why she had come back. Over a year ago, Thalia decided to join the hunt. I hadn't seen her since she went on a quest with the huntresses.

"Percy, why are you leaving?" Thalia interrogated.

"There is nothing left here for me…," I replied, with a hint of disgust in his words.

"What about me? What about Annabeth? What about your friends?" Thalia asked, on the verge of tears.

"Annabeth left me along with my friends for my spoiled brother, and you are in the Hunt," I said simply, trying to keep my cool.

"But I love…" Thalia started, only to be interrupted by a blinding flash of silver light.

"Thalia," the voice, whose obviously was Atremis's, boomed, "you have broken your oath, and you shall be punished for this act of betrayal." Artemis walked over and grabbed Thalia by the hair, and then preceded to drag Thalia away.

"Thalia!" I cried, trying to reach her, only for her to disappear in a flash of light. Staring in disbelief at the spot where she had disappeared, a tear rolled down my cheek. My last demigod friend, gone, never to be seen again. I sat down and started to cry, and I sat there for several minutes, until the last of the tears dried. Anger replaced the sadness, motivating me to visit my mother and step-father to convince them to move to California.

As I was rounding the corner on the street on which my mother lives, a huge fireball blossomed in the center of the building, causing it to collapse. I knew they were in there when it happened, going about their day, only for it to be interrupted. I dragged myself over to the wreckage, seeing burned bodies embedded within the rubble. I sank to my knees, defeated. Everything and everyone I had ever loved, taken from me. I took out Riptide and uncapped it, looking at the blade with longing, finally glad that it might be over. While I was studying the blade, two pitch black shoes appeared beneath me. I was caught off guard when little motes of light started to float on the shoes. I lowered Riptide and looked up, only to see that a man was standing in front of me, with a suit that matched his shoes with the little floating light thingies on the suit.

"I am Lord Chaos, and I am here to make a deal with you."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N. Sorry about the short first chapter. Needed to set the stage for what was next. Thank you all for the great support for only the first chapter. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO or HoO series. Uncle Rick does and deserves all the credit.**

Poison

Percy's POV

I dropped my sword in disbelief and stared at Chaos. Why was he here? What was this deal that he spoke of? "What 'deal'?" I asked, confused by the offer.

"Well, Percy, I am offering you a second chance. For you to relive these past years, knowing what you know now. But," Chaos paused, "the Fates will try everything in their power to deter you and to stop you."

"Why? Why are you offering me this?" I asked, becoming interested in the idea.

"I believe some of the gods and goddesses have ruled long enough. They have become corrupt and use mortals as their center of entertainment. I am tired of seeing the gods bicker over trivial matters while greater threats loom on the horizon. They have lost sight of what is important, and I need someone to, let's just say, 'give them a push in the right direction'. You, Percy, would be the Judge and the Executioner of Olympus," Chaos finished, looking at me with a look of anticipation. _I can't believe this is happening,_ I thought, _a redo, a chance to make things right._

"Deal," I said simply, without a second thought, "but, you must allow Thalia to have her memories back, I can't do this without her."

Chaos thought about it for a second, and then he agreed to do his best. A vortex opened in front of us, causing me to do a double-take. I looked at Chaos, and he chuckled. "Well, what are you waiting for?" At that he walked through, pulling me with him.

We walked into some sort of a giant castle building, made with pitch black stone. He stopped and looked at me. "First of all, you probably want to know who your parents are, right? And don't worry, you will not be a son of the pathetic creatures we call Olympians."

Nodding and muttering my usual intelligent remark consisting of "uh-uh", he continued, "I, along with Akhlys, will be your parents. You will have control of all the elements, poison, and an exceptional knowledge of deadly plants and their even deadlier concoctions. Got it?"

"Um, sure," I replied, overwhelmed by all the information. We continued walking until we came across an arena-like structure.

"This is where your basic training will begin, and for the next few days, you are allowed to experiment with your newfound abilities," Chaos begins, only to point at an open building filled with all sorts of alchemy and chemistry equipment, "and this is where you are going to practice alchemy and chemistry."

"So I am going to stay here a few days before I go back?" I ask, still trying to take in what was happening,

"Yes, so you will be acquainted with your new powers," Chaos answered, "Now, let me show you where you are sleeping."

The tour of Chaos's castle took less than an hour. Dang, this dude knew how to live. He even had a giant pool and hot tub. Chaos led me to the dining hall for dinner, and they had the most wonderful food you could imagine just waiting to be eaten. After dinner, I made a beeline straight towards the training arena. I pulled out Riptide, and waited for the simulation to start. Dozens of monsters seemingly streamed toward me. I hacked and slashed, mowing down each and every monster without ever breaking a sweat. _Well that's new,_ I thought. After I pretty much took out every digital monster in the simulation, I headed over to the alchemy lab and played around with some formulas. I probably made twenty different explosions in under ten minutes. I came out smoking and singed, but otherwise unhurt. I washed up and headed over to my bedroom.

The next few days were the most fun I had ever had. I learned how to shoot lightning out of my fingers like in Star Wars, shot giant fireballs, made about hundreds of things explode, and even put a stink bomb in Chaos's room. I almost wished that I didn't need to leave. On the last night with my father Chaos, he gave me a gift for the upcoming events. It was a perfect replica of Riptide, but made out of a metal that reminded me of Stygian Iron, with Divine Silver detailing. My father told me that if I pressed a button on the grip, a poison so powerful that it could kill an immortal, would flow through the sword. I inspected it gingerly, now wanting to trigger the poison. I stared at the blade, mesmerized by the elegant calligraphy of Divine Silver on the 'void steel'. "Wow," I said, "this is amazing. This is much more balanced and elegant than Riptide."

"It indeed is, and it can channel elemental powers to increase the lethality of the blade. It still has the same qualities that of Riptide. You must hide this; no one must know about the sword. Not until you reach camp, that is. Do I make myself clear?" Chaos explained. I nodded, somewhat anxious about what I am about to do.

"Don't' forget that the Fates will do everything to throw you off-track. Oh, I forgot to mention, you will also have the ability to control time, not unlike Kronos. Well, are you ready?"

I nodded, and I stepped into a portal.

I woke up in a strange but familiar bed in my room. I heard snoring, which was odd. Wait. That snoring is familiar. Too familiar. I looked to my right and stared in horror as my now step-brother Nick turned in his sleep. Rolling out of bed at top speed, I tossed clothes on and raced out of the door into the living space of the apartment. The stench of alcohol hit me as I ran out my bedroom door. _Oh great,_ I thought, _him again._ A great snoring heap laid in the middle of the room, with bottles and cans littering the ground around him. I snorted in disgust. That somehow woke him, and he glared at me with hate. "What did you do that for?" Gabe sneered, obviously hungover.

"Well, beer belly, I was snorting at _that_ ," I replied pointing at him and the general area around him.

Gabe grabbed a broken bottle off the ground and shoved it under my chin with a look unlike one of a rabid animal. "Watch your mouth _boy_. It would be such a shame for me to hurt that pretty face of yours," Gabe spat, the smell of alcohol reeking off him.

Before he could even pull the bottle away, I grabbed his hand, twisted it hard, heard several bones break, and then preceded to shove it in his groin. He yelped, causing a grin to spread across my face. "Oh, I almost forgot, _pretty boy_ ," derision filling my voice, "if you ever hurt Sally or I, this will only be the beginning of the pain I will inflict to you." At that, I started to pack my overly stuffed backpack. Nick then drug himself out of 'our' room, only to jump and scream when he saw Gabe.

"Mom!" he shouted, loud enough to wake the entire building.

"What! What's wrong honey?" Sally came scrambling out of her room, with a concerned look on her face. Once she saw Gabe, she told us to finish getting ready for school. Once we were ready, we piled into her car. She dropped us off, and we headed for class. All throughout the day, I watched Nick get pounded by questions and demonic looks from Ms. Dodds. The rest of the day breezed by, allowing us freedom. I didn't do much last night but pack, accompanied by Nick's questions, mostly centered on 'why'.

Tomorrow started the same as the last, minus the Gabe thing. Sally dropped us off at the Metropolitan Art Museum. _This will be interesting,_ I thought, inwardly chuckling. Everything was boring right up to the point of when Chiron pulled Nick aside. I felt a twinge of jealousy, knowing that Nick was getting Riptide instead of me. I quickly suppressed the thought, thinking about my new sword. I heard a scream and raced to where he had pulled aside Nick. I found a mortified Nick and a triumphant Ms. Dodds thought I was a mortal and tried to shoo me away. Grover galloped up and let out a tiny baa. I sighed, drew my sword, and sliced Ms. Dodds in two. I turned to find a surprised Grover gaping at me. I walked over to my step-brother to find him in the fetal position laying in a puddle of his own urine. I walked away, leaving Grover to clean up the mess.

When we returned home, I turned to Sally and said, "We know that we are demigods." She did a double-take, and the started to get us out the door. I grabbed my bag and led the group to the car. Sally stomped on the gas, causing the car to lurch forward. In no time, we picked up Grover and were coming up on the homestretch to camp. I heard an obnoxiously loud 'MOOOOO' and rolled my eyes. The Minotaur slammed into the car, flipping us over. I heard Grover swear, and started to kick out the back window. I shattered my window with a well-placed elbow, and crawled out onto the grass. Grover was helping the others out, and then started to sprint towards the hill. "C'mon!" he shouted, as I kept up and the others were struggling. We reached the barrier and watched as the Minotaur plucked Sally off the ground. Nick was screaming and I waited. The Minotaur shadow-traveled Sally to the Underworld, and then I attacked. I summoned a massive fireball along with a lightning bolt. I fused the two together, and then I plunged it into the heart of the beast, causing it to explode into a cloud of gold dust. I turned away, a small grin creeping onto my face.

General POV

The throne room was chaos. Gods and goddesses stormed about, trying to figure out two the boy's godly parent is. Hera wouldn't leave Zeus alone, accusing him of being unfaithful and having another child. Some, like Hephaestus, just sat there, keeping their heads.

"Quiet!" Zeus thundered. **(A/N Yes I know that is SOOO cliché)** Almost every god and goddess stopped what they were doing and stared with anticipation at Zeus. "No, he is not my son, but we will find out who is their parent," as Zeus continued rambling about finding Percy's parents, a man stepped out of a portal at the back of the room. He cleared his throat, causing all the gods and goddesses to turn.

"Lord Chaos," the entire throne room seemed to echo. Each god and goddess bowed.

"If you haven't noticed, my son just took down the Minotaur single-handedly," Chaos boomed. The gods and goddesses looked at each other in confusion. Each and every one of those present thought the same, _Chaos has a son?_ He seemed to read their thoughts and responded, "Yes, I do have a son, Perseus Jackson." He let that soak in for a few seconds and continued, "Be forewarned; he will become the Judge and possible Executioner of Olympus." With that, he opened a portal. Pausing, he turned back to the Assembly. "Oh, don't forget that if you were to interfere with Perseus, if you live past the encounter, you will be wiped permanently from this Earth and will be sent to oblivion." He walked through the portal, leaving the gods and goddesses to gape in his wake.

Percy's POV

I stroll into camp completely unharmed while Grover and Nick limp into camp behind me. Ignoring the gaping faces of campers, I head straight to the Big House, with Grover and Nick still in tow. I throw open the door, and Dionysus started to scream something about senseless brats. "Shut up, Dionysus," I retort. A vine darts out at me, and I block it with a small lightning strike. Dionysus stares at me with surprise which quickly turns into hatred. He lashes out again, only to be stopped be Chiron. He mutters something about Chaos into Dionysus's ear that makes Dionysus look like he about to throw a tantrum.

"Well, Percy, you seem well acquainted with some of us, others not so much. Please sit down," Chiron says, and after we were seated, he began camp orientation. I ignored most of it, listening enough to make sure that there is no changes. After Chiron finishes, he instructs Grover and Nick to go to the infirmary, while I got to go to the arena. Annabeth was teaching today, which made me feel a twinge of hate. She paired me up with a beginner, and I bested her with only a few slashes. Annabeth made note of that, and she moved me up a tier. I bested him with the same ease as the first. Annabeth kept moving me up, until I got to the top tier. The top fighter gave a bit more of a fight, but it was over in a matter of seconds.

Annabeth came walking up to me, looking at me with interest. "How are you so talented? So agile? So precise?" she grilled. I just shrugged my shoulders in answer to her question. "Man of few words. How about you fight me, to see if you are really one of the best?" I just nodded and picked up a sword. We both got into ready stances. Someone yelled 'fight!' so we clashed blades, which sent sparks flying. **(A/N Actual sparks, not the metaphor)** He dueled like this, at a stalemate, for a minute or two, then I found an opening. I slashed and created a small gash on her hand. She had her guard down due to her surprise, so I took that opportunity to push the point of the sword into neck. I smiled. I had won.

As we were taking off armor and putting away swords, people stopped what they were doing and stared at me. Well, actually above me. So I looked up to see my father's and my mother's symbol above me. Annabeth snapped out of the daze she was in and said in a hushed voice, "You're a son of Chaos and Akhlys."

I looked at her and said, "Oh really?" She took offense, and she blushed as she walked away. I strolled over to the cabins as a large vortex opened and a giant building came out of it and landed smack-dab in the middle of the cabins. It was way too big to be cabin, and it made the Zeus cabin look like a gingerbread house a child made for Christmas. Thunder sounded somewhere high above. Zeus was not happy about this. _Ha, eat it, lightning boy,_ I thought happily as I walked to my cabin.

As I got inside the cabin, my jaw dropped. _Frick, my dad knows how to live._ There was a note taped to the wall. I read through it, my eyes getting bigger every line I read. Pretty much, this place included an indoor gym, outdoor and indoor pools, Jacuzzis, a full kitchen, multiplying bedrooms, a full living space/lounge, and a door that only allows entry to those I give permission.

I got a pop and plopped down on the couch. Just as I was reaching for the TV remote, there was a knock on the door. _Gods, I hope it's not Annabeth._ I got up and opened the door. Nick was standing outside. _Great. This is even worse._ "Well, are you going to let me in or not?" He asked in a spoiled brat tone of voice he always had.

"No."

"But I am your brother!"

"No, you are not. I was adopted, idiot."

"LET ME IN!" Nick tried to push past me, but I gave him a little shock. He jumped back and screamed.

"Get out of my sight, Nick. I never want to see near my cabin again. Can your tiny brain process that?" I snarled. "You sleep in the Hermes cabin until you are claimed."

"How did you know that?"

"Because, _Nick,_ I listened at orientation! Now, as I have said before, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" I yelled, slamming the door in his face. _Now where was I?_ I sat back down on the couch and watched TV until the camp horn sounded.

 **A/N. I know that this chapter is pretty long… Please tell me in the comments how long the chapters should be…. This was about 3000 words and 7 pages in Word with 11 font size. How will the Capture the Flag game go? Whose side will Percy be on? Will Nick wet his pants when he meets Annabeth on the battlefield? Till next time!s**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the incredibly long update time. The chapter would not post, so for the last few weeks, I thought that this was posted. I have been really busy lately, along with some writer's block. Thank you for the great support for the previous chapters. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

As soon as the horn sounded, I groan and get off the couch. _At least there is capture the flag tonight._ I snag my sword off the table and head towards the door. After I shut the door behind me, I stroll to the dining area. Apparently I even have my own table. I sit down just as the nymphs come out with the food. I glance over at the Hermes table, and I see my brother looking around him in awe, and I see Luke lean over and tell him about the drinks. I look down at mine and I think _blue Cherry Coke._ It is the same as I had in the previous timeline. As the rest of the camp were lining up to burn their offerings to the gods, I saw Nick stuffing his face with food like a pig. Finally, when he is almost done with his meal, a dude from Hermes pulls him aside and explains, rather harshly, what he is expected to do. When Nick walks back to the table, he is blushing and looks like he is about to cry. He eventually gets up again and shoves the rest of the food into the fire. He sits back down, grumpy that he was talked to by another camper. Just to add more salt to the wound, the entire Ares cabin is pointing and laughing at him. Rumor is that he was dragged into the girl's bathroom by Clarisse and had his head shoved in the toilet. He didn't even fight back.

The camp starts to shift in their seats, looking forward to capture the flag. Annabeth and Clarisse both come running into the pavilion waving their respective banners. Athena, Hermes, and Apollo are on one team, while Ares, Hephaestus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Chaos are on the other. I smile, thinking of the various ways to humiliate Nick in front of the rest of the camp. Chiron explains the rules, and he constantly looks to Clarisse and her little gang who are looking murderous. As soon as he is finished, the tables are piled high with weapons. Completely ignoring the table, I walk over to the forest where our team is supposed to gather. I uncap my sword and realize that I am wearing armor. Confused, I look down and see armor that is pitch black with little motes of light drifting across it. I take off my helmet, and it matches the rest of the armor. Even the plume is red. _Dang that is cool. How-._ Battle cries interrupt my thought, and we rush into the forest. Clarisse starts to give out orders, and I volunteer to go with Clarisse to beat the crap out of Nick. She looks at me funny, and abides with a look of 'don't-get-my-way'. I shrug, knowing that I will completely ignore her. She finishes giving orders, and her gang and I charge off towards the creek. Knowing what was ahead, I sidestep into the brush and alert the ones defending the flag that the Blue team was coming to flank. I quickly catch up to the group just as they came running up to Nick. I watch as the five attack and beat the living crap out of Nick. I see Nick's eyes widen as he figured out that it was electric. I start to walk towards the brawl as the Ares kids started to mock Nick. As Clarisse nearly shish-ke-babbs Nick, I am getting closer to the fight. I stop at the edge of the creek, watching as Nick is pushed back into the water. The five Ares kids pounce on Nick, only to be thrown back on their butts. Nick starts to destroy them one by one, each going down with ease. Even Clarisse is knocked unconscious. I jump to the base of the creek, making him look at me with a look of surprise and delight.

"Ah, Percy. Glad you could come and join the party," Nick mocks, pointing to the other five, who were all unconscious.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I reply, derision obvious in my voice.

Nick charges at me with a small whirlwind of water around him. I chuckle and blast him with enough electricity to send him flying, while spontaneously convulsing.

"Remember this _Water Boy,_ lightning beats water," I spit out, speaking as if I was talking to a young child. Just as I am finished, an assault of whoops and cheers hit me as my team ran across the border with the blue flag. I notice Annabeth materializing out of the corner of my eye. Smirking, I hear a growl. I turn around while the rest of the camp stare in shock. I turn, finding myself staring in the face of a hellhound, who has his eyes on Nick. Chiron comes galloping in and stares at the hellhound in surprise. As the hellhound starts to pounce on Nick, he wakes, and then faints again in a puddle of his own urine. Sighing, I launch a burst of pure poison at the creature, causing it to slowly disintegrate. People were again staring at me, but their attention quickly changes back over to Nick. A faint trident was glowing over his head, only to quickly disappear. _The old fish must be ashamed of that sad excuse for a demigod._ I walk away, chuckling.

General POV

Olympus

A mixture of thundering laughter and disapproving sighs reverberate throughout the throne room on Olympus. Zeus walks up to Poseidon and laughs in his face. Poseidon flinches, only to make Zeus laughing even louder. Poseidon turns his back on Zeus and walks away, head held in shame. Hera walks up to Zeus and slaps him in front of the entire throne room.

"He is your brother! Show him some respect!" Hera scolds, before follow Poseidon out. Zeus just stands there, still shocked about what just happened. Several people start to laugh, but Zeus tries to silence them, only to find out that his Master Bolt isn't there.

"What... Where is it?" Zeus mumbles as he searches for the bolt. Suddenly his face darkens. "Poseidon! That TRAITOR! He took it! He must have made that pathetic son of his the bolt. That dirty-"

"Zeus!" Apollo shouts, tearing him from his rant. The shadowy figure in the corner causes Zeus to shut his mouth.

"Lord Chaos," the entire room reverberated.

"I have come to check up on you blithering imbeciles," Chaos cast a look at Zeus, "just to make sure you haven't blown up anything or caused the world to end over petty arguments." He chuckles, because he caught the look on Zeus's face. "Good, I shall be off, and remember, no ending-the-world while I am gone!" And with that, he disappeared.

Percy's POV

CHB

Earlier today, Nick was moved into Cabin three, and he stands outside, looking lonely. The next few days are routine, other than the mocking laughs from the other campers directed towards Nick. People mostly leave me alone, probably because I scared them with how I handled a child of the Big Three, along with the hellhound. Some of the Ares kids left the newspaper with the article on their disappearance. I saw him crying as he read the article. He is becoming more fluent inn sword fighting, which is starting to boost his arrogance. He still hasn't made any friends at camp, due to his ever increasing arrogance, other than Grover. I look at the clock, and notice that it is almost nine, and is starting to get dark. Surprised that it is this late, I grab my coat and race out the door. I jog towards Half-Blood Hill, weaving between the cabins and training areas. I climb up the hill and look for Thalia's tree. Before I could do that, Nick climbs out of the darkness.

"Where are you going? It's past curfew," Nick questions. "Wouldn't want goldenboy to be caught."

"Leave me alone, Nick," I snarl.

"Oh, is goldenboy scared?" Nick makes a pouting face.

"I am only going to tell you one more time: leave me alone," I warn.

"How about no. I want a rematch of our fight, one-on-one.

"Be careful for what you wish for," I charge at him, watching for his sidestep. As he tries to sidestep, I quickly pivot on my heels and face him. I use a flurry of quick strikes, and Nick is barely able to block the strikes. I back off, waiting for him to make his first move. He tries to execute a jab and feint, which I easily block. I pivot and slash, creating a long gash that crosses his back. I follow up with a kick to his back, causing him to stumble down the hill. I turn around and start to walk towards the tree. I hear a cry from behind me, turning to see Nick charging at me. I sidestep throwing my weight into a kick to his stomach. He keels over, and I grab him by the back of his neck and drag Nick to the edge of the hill. I throw him down the side of the hill. I turn away yet again. I walk over to the tree and stand there, marveling in the beauty of the tree. I pull out a vial my father gave me. It would restore Thalia's memories from the previous timeline. I uncork it and pour it on the trunk, watching as the golden liquid is being absorbed. I sink to the ground, exhausted from the prior few days. I think about how long the journey will be, from the Lotus Hotel and Casino to the Siege of Manhattan. The thought of Thalia by my side helped with the feeling of loneliness. As I rest my head against the tree, I felt myself slowly falling asleep.

I wake to the sounds of fighting and screaming. I stand up and stretch, noticing that Grover and a rather battered Nick are heading towards the Big House. Knowing what will happen I follow them. I spot the two talking to Dionysus, and watch as Chiron explains the dire situation. After he is finished, he leads the two inside to talk to the Oracle. I walk up to the house and knock. Chiron opens the door, a look of surprise on his face. He opens the door, and I step inside.

"I heard there will be a quest," I say, looking around, "Is it about the Master Bolt, right?"

"Yes, yes Zeus thinks Poseidon stole the Master Bolt," Chiron replies.

I sit down on one of the couches. In a few minutes, Nick comes back down with a priceless look on his face. I chuckle, thinking back to when I had to do the same.

"Well, out with it. We don't have all day," I order.

"Wh-why is he here? This is supposed to be my quest," Nick complained.

"C'mon man, we have to go before Dionysus gets back!" Grover shouts, nervously looking around.

"Alright, alright. Here goes nothing."

 **The son of the Sea God and the son of Chaos shall go west,**

 **Face the god that has turned,**

 **Find what was stolen, see it safely returned**

 **The son of the Sea God betrayed by whom you call a friend**

 **And fail to save what is most important in the end.**

Grover and Chiron look at Nick in surprise, while I keep a poker face.

"Do I have to go with _him_?" Nick asks Chiron.

"You know the rules, Nick," I butt in.

"Whatever… but the Oracle said I would fail. Why would it do that?" Nick asks, confused.

I tune out their explanation of how prophecies can be interpreted and their conspiracies about Hades stealing the lightning bolt. _Oh, that reminds me. I have to talk to Hades tonight._

"Also, you can take two extra people, and of course Grover will be one and the other has volunteered." Chiron explains as Annabeth took off her Yankees cap. I see Nick blush, and I crack a grin. "Alright, go and pack. You leave tomorrow."

I didn't have much to pack. I put a few outfits in a bottomless sling bag. Since my armor summons on command and Annabeth has the rest of the supplies, I am ready to go. Before I go to sleep though, I have something else to do. My father summons a portal straight to Hades' palace. I step through, only to be greeted by the stench of dead bodies and screams from the Fields of Punishment. _What a warm welcome._ I navigate the labyrinth of obsidian doorways and hallways, and I finally arrive in his throne room.

"Lord Hades. I have come here to make you a deal."

"Well, what a surprise. Not many demigods come wandering down here. Even less want to make me deal."

"Not surprising, with the screaming and the torture."

Hades chuckles. "What is this deal you speak of, mortal?"

"If you join forces with Chaos and I, after the judgement of the gods is complete, you will be given a throne on Olympus, and a choice of what you may rule over." I look at him in anticipation for his answer.

"I should end you here for treason of the gods," Hades thinks about the idea, and I put my hand on my sword, "but, those hotheaded idiots have ruled long enough. I will join you."

I smile with satisfaction, taking my hand off my sword. "Now, you will swear on the Styx that you will keep the utmost secrecy on your allegiance, and that you will not defect in the favor of the gods."

Hades looks at me with a look of outrage, but obliges. "I, Lord Hades, ruler of the Underworld, swear on the River Styx that I shall uphold the utmost secrecy about my allegiance with Lord Chaos, and that I will not defect to the favor of the gods and goddesses of Olympus." Thunder sounded over the river.

I nod in approval and walk into a portal my father created, transporting me back to my cabin. I stumble towards my bed, exhausted. I fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

The next morning, I spot Nick and Annabeth walking away from the shop hands and backpacks full of ambrosia, various drachmas, and mortal money. I run towards them, slinging my backpack over my shoulders. I meet up with them and Chiron by the Thalia pine. Chiron was introducing Argus when I see Luke running towards us. He stops in front of Nick and gives him the sneakers. Wings sprout out from the sides, making Nick jump back a little. He pats Grover on the head, shakes my hand, punches Nick lightly in the shoulder, and hugs Annabeth. She looks like she might pass out. Nick picks up the shoes and starts to follow Argus, but Chiron pulls him aside. He joins the group a few minutes later, a victorious grin on his face. We all hop into the SUV that was waiting for us. I call shotgun, while the other crowd into the back.

In a few hours, we are in Western Long Island, and Nick was taking in every single mortal around. Nick starts to ask why she hates him, and she gives him a long list of things that are reason for her dislike, mostly all about their parents. Argus drops us off at a Greyhound bus station near our old apartment. Grover explains why Sally married Gabe, and at the thought of Sally, he tears up. While we are waiting, Grover has the idea of playing Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Of course when it is Nick's turn, he hits it right into Grover's mouth. Annabeth and I groan, but a bus arrives. I notice Mrs. Dodds, but so does Nick, and he starts to tremble in fear. We sit down, and Annabeth gives Nick her Yankees cap. He puts it on and disappears. The Furies started their walk towards us and I uncap my blade and fill it with poison, waiting. When they reach Annabeth and Grover, they transform. The Furies screech and shout, "Where is it? Where is it?'

I stand up and thrust my sword through Mrs. Dodds, a look of surprise spreading across the three Furies faces. As the other two Furies try to comprehend what just happened, I whip my sword around and catch the Fury on my right in the neck. She explodes into a cloud of dust, and the other tries to snap her whip at my face. I dodge, and the whip cracks where I just was. I quickly counter, cutting the last Fury in half. I shout at the others to grab their bags and to get out, and I weave my way through the isle, leaving the others to race after me. I catapult out the door and head towards a large boulder on the side of the road. The others appear out of the bus and start to run towards me. BOOM. The bus behind us exploded into a ball of fire. I do a quick headcount and realize Nick is missing.

"Guys, do you know where Nick is?" I ask, and the others shake their heads. Annabeth starts to hyperventilate, and Grover just stands there. I hear I rustle in the underbrush nearby, and I turn with my sword drawn. Nick steps out, wholly unharmed. Annabeth snaps out of her daze and starts to scream at Nick.

"WHERE WERE YOU? WE THOUGHT YOU DIED!"

"I escaped while Percy was attacking the Uglies. I hid and waited for you guys to come out," He says casually, completely ignoring the fiery remains of the bus on a few yards behind us.

"Cap, please," Annabeth demands coldly. He hands over the cap, with a look of hurt flashing across his face.

"Let's get moving before something even worse comes," Grover suggests, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Good idea," Annabeth agrees, "Let's go." And with that, we disappear into the forest.

Over the next few hours, I had to listen to Grover complain about tin cans and Nick gripe about being wet from the swampy land. I really wanted to punch him in the gut for that, him being the son of Poseidon and all. Annabeth drops back, drawing my attention away from pulverizing Nick.

"That was really brave, what you did. Even thought I had myself covered," she says, looking me straight in the eyes, "I really appreciated that."

"Whatever," I reply, nonchalant. I slowly speed up, leaving Annabeth trying to keep up.

"Hey guys! I think I see something!" Grover baas. We all whip our heads around to look at Grover. He points to a slightly neglected building with a statue garden in the back. I look up at the sign and pick out the words: Auntie Em's Garden Gnome Emporium.


End file.
